KYDON PALACE is temporary leaving the Piraeus-Chania route

By | 2023 Newsletter week 7 | No Comments

Minoan Lines has made a request to the Hellenic Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy to temporarily reassign its cruise ferry KYDON PALACE from the Piraeus-Chania route until October 31, 2023.

The ship will be operated by Minoan Lines with Greek flag and Greek crews on the Adriatic service. Minoan Lines emphasizes that the request is temporary and they have no intention of abandoning the Piraeus-Chania route.

The reason for this request is due to the increased needs in the Adriatic Service, where the KYDON PALACE is more urgently required.

COLOR VIKING is being prepared for delivery to SeaJets

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The delivery of Seajets’ newly acquired vessel, the COLOR VIKING, is expected to be completed by the end of February.

The ship is currently located at the port of Sandefjord in Norway, where a Greek crew is making final preparations for the delivery.

The COLOR VIKING ceased operations on the Sandefjord-Stromstad route on November 22, 2022, and was sold for a price of EUR 8 million.

It is anticipated that the vessel will arrive in Greece before March 15 and will undergo conversion before being introduced into the domestic ferry service.

Photo: Trygve Eriksen (shipspotting.com)

ECSA statement on FuelEU Maritime negotiations

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The European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) calls on the European Parliament and the Council to support the mandatory inclusion of fuel suppliers under the scope of FuelEU Maritime as proposed by the European Parliament in Amendment 129 (Article 20 – paragraph 3 c (new)).

It is key to ensure that shipowners are not unduly penalised if the sustainable fuels necessary for compliance are not delivered.

This provision, together with a binding target for maritime fuel suppliers as proposed by the Parliament in RED III, is essential for the energy transition of shipping.

Digitalisation of Color Line’s operations supported by Telenor Maritime’s Unified Hosting Service™

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Sustainability through digitalisation: Telenor Maritime has installed its Unified Hosting Service™ (UHS®) on board Color Line’s fleet of five ferries, supporting the process of digitalising its operations and sustainability strategy.

From January 2023, the open and vendor-neutral data hosting platform enables Color Line to collect, monitor and transmit crew input data and sensor data from the on-board navigation and engine control systems, delivered by different OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers). The UHS® digitalises two major operational activities that were previously handled manually: operational checklists for the crew and the collection of data for the regulatory Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) reports.

The MRV regulation stipulates that data must be logged for each leg of the journey and added to a report for the authorities (EU, IMO) to analyse and monitor the fleet’s pollutant emissions data. With the UHS® installed, this normally tedious, manual task is now automated. Data is collected from the operational technology on board and is seamlessly shared between the ship and the shore. The MRV data is sent directly to the DNV class society for compliance approval. Moving from manual to digital checklists improves the crew’s daily operations, allowing faster and easier communication and information sharing, and access to higher quality data.

Telenor Maritime is proud to partner with Color Line, supporting its vision to become Europe’s leading shipping company within sustainable passenger and goods transportation. The UHS® provides access to all on-board data on one platform, giving the crew and the land-based management organisation the opportunity to create a common set of master data that can be trusted and reused. Having the ability to access data insights on board will empower the crew to make better decisions in their daily operations, making real-time performance optimisation attainable.

Photo: Anders Martinsen

AS Tallink Grupp Statistics for January 2023

By | 2023 Newsletter week 6 | No Comments
  • The cruise ferry GALAXY stopped operating on the Turku-Stockholm route in September 2022 due to the charter contract with The Netherlands..
  • The January Estonia-Finland results reflect operations of shuttle services including new shuttle Mystar that was added to the route from 13 December 2022. The cruise ferry SILJA EUROPA stopped operating on the Tallinn-Helsinki route in August 2022 due to a charter contract with The Netherlands.

Fjord Line will no longer call at Langesund

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With the resumption of traffic on STAVANGERFJORD and BERGENSFJORD in May and June respectively, Fjord Line will offer a permanent route between Bergen, Stavanger, Hirtshals, and Kristiansand. The ships will no longer call at Langesund.

“This strategic move aims to provide a better experience for both travellers and freight customers on the quickest route between Norway and the continent. The new service will offer a higher frequency and a year-round connection between Kristiansand and Hirtshals,” says CEO Brian Thorsted Hansen.

Customers can choose to travel on the sister ships or the high-speed catamaran Fjord FSTR. Fjord Line has been operating traffic to and from Langesund since 2014.

Passport requirement for the Channel Islands should be lifted

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The French Manche Department will not manage maritime links (via a public service contract) to the Channel Islands if the passport requirement is not lifted. An ID card should be enough.

Nearly half of the customers arriving in the terminal of Manche Îles Express did not have a passport, compulsory since October 1, 2021. Result: less passengers, and a loss of revenue for the ferry company.

The Manche Department has issued an ultimatum to lift the passport requirement by May 1, 2023, or they will not renew the service contract for 2024-2025.

CMA CGM and STEF: negotiations to acquire La Méridionale

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The Stef Group has confirmed to Le Figaro that it has started preliminary discussions with the CMA-CGM Group regarding the potential acquisition of its maritime activities, which are centered around the company La Méridionale, with 600 employees.

Stef specified that these discussions are in an early stage and that the proper procedure, including informing and consulting the social and economic council of La Méridionale, which will be meeting next week, must be followed.

The acquisition of these ferries, which dock at the foot of the CMA-CGM tower in Marseille, would mark the shipping company’s return to the passenger maritime transport market after selling luxury cruise line Ponant in 2015.

La Méridionale operates connections between Marseille and Corsican ports for both passengers and freight. It recently obtained a renewal of its public service delegation with Corsica Linea for these connections until 2029.